Lexi Webster
Western Australia was colonised by Britain in 1829, when Captain James Stirling established the Swan River Colony, later named Perth. The colonisation of Western Australia was prompted by the desire for a new colony, free from the convict history of New South Wales. Stirling's efforts were aided by enthusiastic reports in the London press, which fuelled interest in the potential colony. The first settlers arrived in 1829-30, with nearly 4,000 people migrating to the region. However, the colony failed to flourish initially due to the harsh conditions and the presence of the local Whadjuk people, who were forced away from their travel routes and hunting grounds. Western Australia remained a British colony until it gained the right of self-government in 1890, joining with other states to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of colonisation | 1829 |
| First European to sight Western Australia | Dutch explorer, Dirk Hartog |
| Year Western Australia was sighted | 1616 |
| Year Western Australia became a penal settlement | 1849 |
| Year convicts began to arrive at the colony | 1850 |
| Year Western Australia gained the right of self-government | 1890 |
| Year Western Australia joined with the other five states to form the Commonwealth of Australia | 1901 |
| Year of the gold rush | 1890s |
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What You'll Learn
Exploration and colonisation by Europeans
The first recorded European contact with Western Australia was in 1616 when Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog landed on the west coast. Between Hartog's landing in 1616 and Abel Janszoon Tasman's voyages in 1642 and 1644, the outline of Australia's western coast was filled in. However, the Dutch found the region unsuitable for trade or colonisation and lost interest in Western Australia. This poor opinion of the region was confirmed by the English navigator William Dampier in 1688 and 1699. As a result, when the British annexed New South Wales in 1770 and settled it in 1788, Western Australia remained unoccupied by Europeans.
In 1826, an expedition on behalf of the New South Wales colonial government, led by Major Edmund Lockyer, landed at King George Sound and founded what became the port city of Albany. On 21 January 1827, Lockyer formally claimed the portion of New Holland not yet claimed by the British Crown, that is, the portion west of the 129th meridian east. Captain James Stirling sailed to Western Australia in 1827 to scout for a new place to build a colony. He saw the Swan River's 'rich soil' and thought it looked like a beautiful spot. Stirling's efforts to convince the government were helped by enthusiastic reports in the London press, which fuelled interest in the potential colony, especially among Britons eager to start new lives in Australia.
In 1829, Stirling returned to Western Australia with settlers to establish the Swan River Colony, which ultimately became the present-day capital, Perth. The first migrants were mainly retired servicemen, professional men with their families, and artisans and servants from Britain. However, life in the new settlement proved challenging due to the existing presence of the Whadjuk people, the lack of infrastructure, and the difficulty of clearing land and growing crops. The harsh conditions faced by the settlers resulted in minimal population growth until the discovery of gold in the 1880s. The colony also suffered from a lack of capital and labour, leading to the importation of male convicts from 1850. Between 1850 and 1868, around 10,000 British convicts arrived at the colony, with convicts eventually outnumbering settlers.
During the 1840s, some economic development occurred in Western Australia, with the establishment of a bank, the export of sandalwood and horses, and the opening of a pastoral settlement in the Geraldton district. In 1890, Western Australia gained the right of self-government, and the first election took place that year. However, only men who owned or rented property were allowed to vote. In the same year, Western Australia joined with the five other states to form the Commonwealth of Australia. The Western Australian Parliament consisted of a Legislative Council and a Legislative Assembly elected on manhood suffrage.
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The gold rush and its impact
The gold rush of the 1890s brought the first major influx of immigrants to Western Australia, most of whom came from Australia's eastern colonies, but also from southern Europe and other parts of the world. This period saw the creation of various migrant schemes to bring market gardeners and farmers to the young state, as there was a need to feed the growing population.
The discovery of gold in Western Australia attracted investors and migrants alike. The most prominent of these early investors was Thomas Peel, cousin to the then Home Secretary and later Prime Minister, Robert Peel. The government was flooded with letters from would-be emigrants, and the establishment of the Swan River Colony was soon agreed upon, with the understanding that it would receive minimal public funding and no convict labour.
The first migrants in 1829-30 were mainly retired servicemen on half-pay, professional men with their families, and artisans and servants from Britain. However, the colony failed to flourish, and the population stagnated. Between 1848 and 1889, single women were sent to the colony in what became known as the 'Bride Ships'. Young delinquents known as the 'Parkhurst Boys' were also sent to bolster the workforce.
The population was further enhanced between 1850 and 1868 when convicts were sent to the colony. During this period, Western Australia became a penal colony, with around 10,000 British convicts arriving. By 1868, the total population was 17,000, with convicts outnumbering settlers. Indentured workers from many parts of Asia were also significant in populating the far northwest of the colony.
The gold rush had a significant impact on the development of Western Australia, bringing about a period of mass immigration and contributing to the cultural diversity that is still evident today.
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Indigenous resistance and conflict
The British colonisation of Australia began in 1788 with the establishment of a penal colony at Sydney Cove. The British government considered Australia as "terra nullius", believing the land belonged to no one, despite the presence of Indigenous communities. This notion of terra nullius, or wasteland, was based on the assumption of European cultural superiority and the low population density along the coast. Governor Captain Arthur Phillip was instructed to "live in amity and kindness" with Indigenous Australians and avoid conflict.
However, as colonisation expanded, it disrupted traditional Indigenous food-gathering activities and led to competition over resources and occupation of their lands. Initial peaceful relations between Indigenous Australians and Europeans broke down as the British cleared land and occupied the coastline. Conflict arose, and in May 1788, five convicts were killed, and an Indigenous man was wounded. Despite this, Phillip attempted to maintain peace and forbade reprisals, even after being speared in 1790. He did authorise punitive expeditions after his huntsman was killed by an Indigenous warrior, Pemulwuy.
In Western Australia, the first British settlement was established in 1826 by a detachment of soldiers at Albany, led by Major Edmund Lockyer. Relations between the garrison and the local Minang people were generally peaceful. However, as the colony expanded, conflict arose with the Noongar nation, leading to the infamous Pinjarra massacre on 28 October 1833, when a party of British colonisers led by Governor Stirling attacked an Indigenous campsite. Indigenous resistance in the Perth region was suppressed in 1834 after a bloody confrontation known as the Battle of Pinjarra. Sporadic conflict continued in northern Western Australia until the 1920s, with the Forrest River massacre resulting in the murder of at least eleven Indigenous Australians by a police expedition.
Throughout the colonisation process, Indigenous Australians resisted state-sanctioned injustice and advocated for their rights. They protested inhumane treatment, living conditions, and denial of land rights, sparking a political movement. The Australian Aborigines' League and the Aboriginal Progressive Association played pivotal roles in this movement, drawing attention to the violence and dispossession faced by Aboriginal communities. Despite their efforts, their requests for change were initially rejected by the government.
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Economic problems and the introduction of convicts
Western Australia was initially a ""free settlement", established by private capital and without the use of convict labour. However, economic problems for settler capitalists led them to seek the transportation of British convicts. The soil in the coastal areas was not suited to agriculture, and the colony failed to flourish, with the population stagnating. Between 1848 and 1889, single women were sent to the colony in what became known as the 'Bride Ships', and young delinquents known as the 'Parkhurst Boys' were also sent to bolster the workforce.
The first convicts arrived in Western Australia in 1849, and between 1850 and 1868, around 10,000 convicts were sent to the colony to build roads and other public infrastructure. By 1868, the total population was 17,000, with convicts outnumbering settlers 9,700 to 7,300. The convicts experienced harsh conditions and were sent from England against their will.
The introduction of convicts to Western Australia was opposed by the British Colonial Office due to the slow rate of growth and the presence of convicts. However, petitions were presented to London during the 1860s asking for some of the positions in the Legislative Council to be filled by elected members. Western Australia gained the right of self-government in 1890 and joined with the other five states to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
The colonisation of Western Australia had a significant impact on the indigenous people, particularly the Whadjuk people, who were the traditional owners of the land around Perth. They were forced away from their travel routes and hunting grounds to areas without drinking water and with little food. There were also cultural misunderstandings between the European settlers and the Whadjuk, who did not understand why they were not allowed to eat the foods introduced by the British, such as cows, sheep, and corn.
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Federation and self-governance
Western Australia was initially a "'free settlement'", but economic problems for settler capitalists led them to seek the transportation of British convicts. It became a penal colony in 1849 or 1850, with around 10,000 convicts arriving between 1850 and 1868. By 1868, convicts outnumbered free settlers in Western Australia.
By 1859, all the other Australian colonies had their own parliaments, and colonists in Western Australia began pushing for the right to govern themselves. The British Colonial Office opposed this due to the slow rate of growth and the presence of convicts. Petitions were presented to London twice during the 1860s, asking for some positions in the Legislative Council to be filled by elected members.
Western Australia gained the right of self-government in 1890. The idea of separate Australian colonies coming together to form one nation within the British Empire was vigorously and publicly debated in all six colonies. The thinking behind Federation was that nationhood would make the whole country stronger and have benefits for all colonies. All colonies would be subject to the same federal laws, represented in the Federal Parliament, and protected by a federal defence force. They would also have increased opportunities for interstate trade.
However, Western Australia in the 1890s was different from other colonies in several ways, and there were conflicting views on Federation within the colony. Western Australia was the last colony to decide whether or not to accept Federation. All the other colonies held referendums in 1898 and 1899, with the majority of voters accepting the new Australian Constitution. Western Australia did not have its referendum until the end of July 1900, by which time the new federal system was already in place. With Federation less than six months away, the people of Western Australia voted to join the new Commonwealth of Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
The first permanent European settlement in Western Australia was Albany, settled in 1826.
Captain James Stirling and the botanist Charles Frazer were responsible for the colonisation of Western Australia. Stirling became the first governor of the colony.
Western Australia became a penal colony in 1849 or 1850 due to economic problems for settler capitalists.
Colonisation had a devastating impact on the Indigenous population of Western Australia, including the Noongar and Whadjuk people. They were forced away from their travel routes and hunting grounds, and their land was claimed for Britain. Indigenous resistance was met with violent confrontation, such as the Battle of Pinjarra in 1834.
